BYOND Strategy Tech Tree: 164

There's a couple on BYOND who uploaded a video in an attempt to win a free wedding.  They look young and sickeningly cute.  I figure promoting them might make me look like a sugar daddy if their marriage doesn't work out.  This post comes a bit late, but you still have until tomorrow to vote in the first phase.

This edited version of Along The Tech Tree comes to you from BYOND Strategy, a guild run by unpaid volunteers on a game/development portal and software engine called BYOND.  Tech Tree focuses on recent developer activity.  For play suggestions, visit the guild.

Vexonator has updated the tactical fantasy, Surreal Dreams.  Along with bug fixes, the help files have had their layout improved.  More work on the custom unit system is planned next.

The legibility of the help files was the focus of my feedback and why I resisted adding the game back to the featured list.  I'm planning on reviewing it in action this week...  I won't count the fugly color combinations against it. ;)-

Acebloke has posted the May results of his standings tracker, AceMedalTable.  NachoX123 has broken into the top five with 36 points from 20 medals.  That's the first change at the top since January.  Gratz!

AceMedalTable was recently updated with one medal from his economic/military simulation, Wargames, and 6 medals from his 2008 Get Something Done Challenge entry, SET UP!  The latter isn't a strategy game, but it made for a nice picture. ;)

Mecha Destroyer JD is making progress on his replacement for Ultimate Strife, Ultra Strife.  The engine is almost ready.  Units, graphics and interface elements are being planned next.  Details are scarce.

I'm still not sure if games inspired by Defense Of The Ancients qualify as strategy games, but The Magic Man is currently reworking War of Heroes into the genre.  As far as I can tell, it's a team-based action game with classes and session-based level grinding.  Test servers are being hosted.

Meanwhile, 100 World Story is probably too random to fit my definition of a strategy game.  However, it is a somewhat complex boardgame.  NoelKnight is currently looking for programmers, artists and writers to help create a similar project on BYOND.  The ruleset, script and events are mostly finished and I find the concept interesting.  Unfortunately, the lack of financial compensation coupled with plans for constant updates doesn't seem promising.

Geldonyetich was disappointed by the scope of his Get Something Done Challenge entry, Mech Game Framework.  However, he is now back to working on his persistent strategy game, Planetbreakers.

*sigh*  With his GSDC entry posted, I can't nag him for progress.  With Tech Tree's recent lack of news, I can't cringe at the fact that he's speaking of immersion instead of solid strategy mechanics.  This is no fun...  But he still can't count to three. ;)

Speaking of IainPeregrine's 2010 Get Something Done Challenge, it has come to an end.  Many entrants dropped out, but he still expected a reasonable showing.  Unfortunately, not even a Memorial Day postponement of the deadline offered enough time for some to get their projects completed and emailed.  On the bright side, there's less for IainPeregrine to judge and the results will be posted on June 14th.

I released an update for my mining card battle, Grim Prospects.  Apparently the host options had display issues.  I fixed them, added another option and made multiple improvements to the help file.  Another update to make the interface symbols easier to understand is on the way.  (Thanks, Geldonyetich.)

Meanwhile, I've been redesigning the interface and mechanics of an older game.  StarScurrier was a sequel to my turn-based economic/combative space race, Star*Scurry.  I released a version (and multiple updates) years ago, but I found the the project unworthy of support and deleted it.  I have a different set of goals this time.  I think it can work.